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Oddsmakers Favor USC Heavily Over Stanford

Originally posted on FanNation All Cardinal
By Kevin Borba | Last updated 9/18/23

Stanford finds themselves in a position where they will likely be in most games this season, underdogs.

The Cardinal who ended up only being favored by a field goal in their Week 1 matchup against Hawai'i walked away with a double digit victory, and an excited fan base. They also found a hidden gem on their own roster in quarterback Ashton Daniels who was mainly used as a running back in his first season in Palo Alto.

Even with the strong showings on offense that saw them hang over 30 points, and on defense that saw them pressure the quarterback non-stop recording five sacks, they are still 29.5 point underdogs for their Week 2 matchup against USC.

USC is currently ranked No. 6 in the country and averaging 61 points in their two games thus far. They are led by 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams and head coach Lincoln Riley. Defensively, they continue to have major questions as they have been giving up 21 points per game against their two Mountain West opponents.

Troy Taylor and company appear to love the underdog role, and will have a chance to prove everyone wrong for a second week straight. Look for tight end Benjamin Yurosek who finished Week 1 with nine catches for over 130-yards with a touchdown on 15.3 yards per catch.

The Stanford offense gave USC trouble at times last season with a focus on E.J. Smith and archaic offense, so theoretically with a much more modern offense there is a possibility that Stanford could cause some confusion and havoc.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Cardinal and was syndicated with permission.

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